Spartans snap Ohio State's long home win streak

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2012 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adreian Payne scored a team-high 15 points as No. 11 Michigan State handed third-ranked Ohio State its first home loss in almost two years with a 58-48 decision at Value City Arena.

Keith Appling added 14 points and Draymond Green had 12 with nine rebounds for Michigan State (20-5, 9-3 Big Ten), which earned its third straight win and now sits in a tie with Ohio State for the top spot in the conference.

Jared Sullinger recorded 17 points and a season-high 16 rebounds for Ohio State (21-4, 9-3), but also had a career-high 10 turnovers in the Buckeyes' first loss in Columbus since February 17, 2010. They were riding a 39-game home win streak entering Saturday's contest.

Aaron Craft dropped in 15 points in a losing effort as Ohio State shot just 26.4 percent from the floor in the contest, including a 2-for-15 mark from three-point range.

After Payne's layup gave Michigan State an early 4-2 lead, Ohio State reeled off seven straight points. But Green's three-pointer halted the spurt and sparked a 7-1 swing by the Spartans to take a slim, 11-10, lead.

A pair of Sullinger free throws put the Buckeyes back on top before an 11-4 run by Michigan State put them ahead, 22-16, as Ohio State failed to make a shot from the floor for over nine minutes.

Sullinger's trey stopped Ohio State's offensive drought and brought the Buckeyes within three, but the Spartans recorded the game's next six points to take their largest lead of the game to that point, 28-19, with less than five minutes left in the first half.

The Buckeyes never got closer than six for the remainder of the half and trailed 35-25 at the break for their largest halftime deficit of the season.

Ohio State shot just 7-for-21 from the floor and turned the ball over eight times in the first half, while Michigan State went 15-for-32 and recorded 14 points off of the Buckeyes' giveaways.

Ohio State scored the first four points of the second half to close the gap to six, but the Spartans responded with six straight points to go ahead, 41-29, just past the four-minute mark of the half.

The Spartans held at least an eight-point lead over the next four minutes, but after Appling's layup gave Michigan State a 44-34 lead, Ohio State made a push, scoring six straight to get within 44-40.

Two Appling free throws then put Michigan State back up six, and after Ohio State missed four straight shots in succession in an offensive flurry, Derrick Nix's jumper stopped the Spartan's seven-minute streak without a basket from the floor.

Ohio State never threatened again from there, as the Spartans made enough free throws down the stretch.

Game Notes

Michigan State recorded its 12th 20-win season in the last 15 years...Ohio State fell to 5-3 against ranked opponents this season...The Spartans hold a 64-53 advantage in the all-time series...Michigan State shot 40.4 percent in the game and outscored Ohio State in the paint, 30-12.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.

Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.

Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.

If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.

Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.

By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.

So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.

While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.

There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.

In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:

SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.

XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.

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